Leatheroid and process of making the same



STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

BEBNHARD rnrrzscn, or omormiirnomo.

LEATHEROID AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME.

1,334,297 1T0 Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNHAYRD Fnrrzsorr, a citizen of the United States, andvresldlng at "Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented anew and use ful Improvement in Leatheroid and Proc-.

many uses,- and as a leather substitute for some purposes.

My invention rests on the discovery that leather, rubber, casein and lime can be interincorporated into a homogeneous, bonded mass, which, dough-like, can be rolled into sheets of any desired thickness, which when and solidified has desirable texture,

physical structure and qualifications. While these four materials formthe basis of my product, it is obvious that to produce slight gradations of products, other materials, such as sulfur, or wood or cotton pulp, can

" be added, without departing from the said four basic components, as the underlying principle 'of the invention. That 1s to say, my mixture constitutes a leather-llke base,

' to which slightly varying characteristics can be imparted by slight additions of other materials, the contributing characteristics of which are well known to the art.

For the leather component, I use, preferably, cheap waste -material, such as old leather, tannery scraps, shoe or harness trimmings-and the like, which are abundant and cheap, and which are largely waste or byiproducts at present.

or the rubber component, I preferably use the best commercial (washed) rubber or para dissolved in naphtha, or other suitable volatile material.

The casein 1s ordinary cheese, such as dry cottage cheese, and constitutes a bonding and water-proof material.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application'filed November 7, 1918. Serial No. 261,463.

I preferably use ordinary unslaked lime, but barium or aluminum oxid, or an alkaline earth metal oxid can be employed to provide this component, which adds strength, Water-proof characteristics and density to the roduot.

To exempli y the process, and without limiting the invention to definite proportions, I have obtained the best results by using five parts leather, five parts rubber, one part casein and one-third part of unslaked lime or its equivalent. The leather is ground up very fine, the rubber is dissolved, and the four materials are thoroughly mixed while cold, until the several ingredients are thoroughly blended and.- .inter-incorporated into a substantially homogeneous mass, which is pliable, non-tenaoious and moist, and can be likened to a dough or fudge-like body, which can'be rolled or pressed, when about half dry, into sheet formation, without disruption of the unitary 'mass. This body is rolled or pressed into sheet or block formation and allowed to stand and dry and harden into a distinct body of useful leatheroid structure, property and physical characteristics; articles, being admirably adapted for tire casings. That is, it is soft, pliable, has a 'leatheroid grain, resistsruptural strains and is water-proof. Leather surface finishes and stains can be readily imparted to it and it can be worked u into many desired leather substitute pro ucts.

The mass when still wet and pliable can be pressed upon a linen or fabric base, ad herlng thereto and forming a leatheroid faced .fabric, suitable for furniture covering or automobile tops.

As illustrating the nature of this new material, specimens are filed herewith.

While the product is, in a sense, a leather compound,-it constitutes in reality a leatheroid, and is a uniform, unitary homogeneous material, the properties, appearance, and usages of which, render it available for a wide variety of uses, other than a mere leather substitute;

This material is not readily combustible and is also suitable for insulation.

By this process and with these materials, the leather and rubber particles are closely It can also be molded into and tenaciously bonded together, producing a relatively stout tissue of uniformlyfirm coherence. I claim:

1. A leatheroid comprising an admixtureof leather, rubber, caseln and an alkali earth metal oxid.

2. A leatheroidcomprisin an admixture of leather, rubber, casein an lime.

3. A leatheroid comprising amixture of about equal parts of leather and rubber, a

small portion of casein, and a still smaller 5. The herein disclosed process of making leatheroid, which consists in admixing leather and rubber particles, casein and an alkaline earth metal oxid.

6. The process of making l'eatheroid, comprising admixing in Wet state, leather and rubber particles in about/equal proportion, a small part of casein, and a still smaller part of an alkaline earth metal oxic'l.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the two subscribing witnesses.

BERNHARD FRITZSCH.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE B. Fosrnn, L. A. BECK. 

